Shaft-straightening apparatus



H. M. BRIGHTMAN SHAFT STRAIGHTENING APPARATUS v 28. 1921 4 sheets-sheet 1 SUN' M. BRIGHTMAH HARRI Filed .Nov

ATTO

May 22, 1923.

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Filed Nov.

28 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l FIG NVENTOR.

HARRILSQN MBRISHTMAN May 22, 1923. A 1,456,227

H. M. BRIGHTMAN SHAFTl STRAIGHTENING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 28 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 PGM] FIGJZ INVENTOR.

HARRIS DN M. BRIEHTMAN May 22, 1923. 1,456,237

H. M. BRIGHTMAN SHAFT S TRAIGHTENNG APPARATUS Filed Nov. 28 1921 4 Sheets--Sl'xeelzA 4 HV'VENTOR.

-HARRISUN M. BRIGHTMAN ATTOR S Patented May 22, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.l

HARRISON M. BRIGHTMAN, or COLUMBUS, omo, AssIGNoR or ONE-FOURTH rro G. F. BRIGHTMAN, ONE-FOURTH To H. L. BRIGHTMAN, AND ONE-FOURTH To J. H.

BRIGHTMAN, .ALL OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

SHAFT-STRAIGHTENING APPARATUS.

Application led November 28, 1921. Serial No. 518,246.

America, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft-Straightening Apparatus, of which the following 1s a. specification.

My present invention relates generally to` shaftl and bar straightening machines, and more particularly to a rotary apparatus for this purpose, by which the desired result can be quickly, accurately accompli-shed and adjustment readily effected so as to accommodate work of different sizes.

My invention proposes au apparatus wherein a series of rotary work engaging members, through which the work is shiftable in the direction of its length, are mounted in holders and the latter are revolved about the work, certain thereof in axially displaced relation to the others and to the work, together with novel adjustable and easily reversible feed means whereby the work may be shifted back and forth through the series of work engaging members.

The various ob'ects of the invention, including the provision of the above parts and an apparatu-s as a whole which is strong and durable and which is capable of continuous operation and ready reversal, together with the resulting advantages, will more clearly appear in the course of the following description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and wherein,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the complete machine, v

Fig. 2 is a side view, partly broken away and ilf section,

Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the feed devices,

Figall is an end view looking at the outer end of Figure 3,

Fig..5 is an enlarged longitudinal section through one pair of rocker arms for supporting and adjusting the feed rollers, v

Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section, of a pair of feed rollers and the shafts thereof,

Fig. 7 is an end view of one of the revoluble brackets.

Fig. 8 is a. side view thereof,

Fig. 9 is a. vertical section therethrough,

Fig. 10 is a side View of the rotating frame,

Figs. 11 and 12 are respectively an end View of and a cross section through the frame of Figure 10,

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section, thrnugh one of the work engaging an Figs. 14, 15 and 16 are side views showing slightly modified work engaging members.

Referring now to these gures and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, have shown a straightening frame of `generally recenlarged,

tangular form, whose upper and lower longi- Y tudinal side bars have oppositcly facing flat surfaces forming bracket seats as seen in Fig. 12 and provided with lengthwise T- slots 21. At its opposite ends, this frame has endwise projecting hollow trunnons' or shafts 22 journaled through the upper bearingsg23 of a pair of spaced pedestals 24, these hollow trunnons 22 providing for the passage of the work lengthwise through the frame. The frame is rotated around the axes. of the trunnons or shafts by means of a pulley 25 on one of said trunnons outwardly beyond the adjacent pedestal 24 connected by a belt or other connection (not shown) to any suitable source of power.'

Each of the brackets 26 revoluble With` the frame- 20, which is generally cylindrical as seen in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 has diametrically opposed outstanding arms 27 laterally through which clamping bolts 28 extend, and these clamping bolts, the heads of which may be shifted into the T-slots of the fra-me sides provide for securing the series of brackets, as for instance the series A, B, C, D and E. of Fig. 10 in place. The bolts also permit of ready removal of the brackets in case repair or substitution becomes necessary.

The clamping bolts 28 work through slotted openings 29 of the arms 27, and it is obvious the brackets may thus be shifted so that the axis of one or more is out of alinement with the axis of rotation of the frame 20, as for instance the brackets B and D of Figure l0, shown disp-laced beyond relatively opposite sides of the axis of rotation.

members,

Each bracket 26 has within its bore a bushing 30 reduced at one end by an internal end rib 31 and rotating within the bracket by virtue of anti-friction balls the latter travelling in races 33 confined in the bracket between an adjustable internal ring 34 and an end plate 35, which is bolted to the bracket as at 36.

The bushing 30 of each bracket supports an internal tubular work encircling member 37, shown in place in dotted lines in Figure. 9 and which, as seen in Figures 13 and 14 has internal races 38 in laterally opposing relation between which work engaging balls 39 are held. Each work encircling member` 37 has an internal annular rib 40 at one end and a threaded internal ring 41 at its opposite end and it is between these parts 40 and 41 that 'the races 38 are removably confined.

The work encircling members are of course made in varying internal sizes to receive work of varying diameters, although the external diameters remain constant so as to interfit the constant internal diameters of the bracket bushings 30 against the internal end ribs 31 of which the tubular members 37 are seated. Rings 42 secured to the end plates 35 by bolts 43 thus serve to hold the work engaging members within the bushings 30 thoughxreadily removable therefrom.

By reference to Figures 14, 15 and 16, it will be noted that, irrespective of change of the members 37 for work of various sizes, the internal balls 39 may be varied in number and size so as to receive polygonal work of various shapes, for instance large balls for square shafting as in Figure 15, smaller balls for heXagon shafting as in Figure 14 and still smaller balls for Octagon shafting as in Figure 16.

Each bracket 26 may also have tangentially disposed and adjustable set screws 44 as in Figure 7 engageable with the sides of the frame 2() so as to position the particular bracket either with its axis coincident with the axis of rotation of the frame 20 as for instance like the brackets A, C and F. of Figure '10, or slightly offset therefrom as for instance like the brackets B and D ofV Figure 10.

Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, it will be noted that the ends of the trunnions or shafts 22 of the revoluble frame 20, have gears 45 thereon which mesh with gears 46 at the inner ends of a pair of clutch shafts 47. These clutch shafts, one at each end of the apparatus, are mounted at one side of the two feed frames 48 in bearings 49 and each has a pair of lengthwise spaced freely revoluble bevel gears 50 and 51` engaging diametrically opposite sides of a larger bevel gear 52 on a cross shaft 53.

Each of thefeed frames, one of which is shown in detail in Figures 3 and 4, consists of spaced uprights 48Il and 48b through the lower portions of which the cross shaft 53 extends, bevel gear 52 being on one end and the other end having fixed thereon a large gear54 and a small gear .55. The large gear 54 meshes with a similar gear 56 on one end of an upper cross shaft 57 journaled through the upper ends of the uprights 48 and 48". Ilhe opposite end ofv this upper cross shaft J57 has a. small gear 58 similar to the small gear of shaft 53.

The cross shafts 53 and 57 rotate through bearlng sleeves 59 and 60 to which, between the uprights 48 and 48",' are keyed rocker arms 61 `and 62, adj ustably connected at their outer ends and having transverse shafts 63 and 64 at their inner ends. The lower shaft 63 has at lone end a gear 65 and the upper shaft has at its opposite end a gear 66. These gears 65 and 66 mesh withlthe gears'55 and 58 of the'vcrossv shafts 53 and 57, so that it is thus obvious the inner ends of the rocker arms 61 and 62 may be shifted vertically toward and away from one another without disturbing the driving connections to the shafts 63 and 64, the latter having centrally located Work engaging feed rollers 67 and 68 whose grooved peripheries permit the work to be engaged in an effective manner irrespective. of its shape, see Figure 6.

For the purpose of adjusting the rocker arms 61 and. 62, their outer ends have swiveled blocks 69 through which the upper and lower threaded ends .of adjusting rods 70 are extended. These rods project above and below a tubular work guide 71 between the uprights 48 and 48b and their threaded ends receive nuts 72 upon opposite vsides of the blocks 69 so that the rocker arms may be adjusted and locked in any desired position, with the rollers 67 and 68 in proper engage-l ment with the work.

Referring again to Figure 1, it wiil be noted that the bevel gears on the clutch shafts have inner toothed faces 73 adapted for engagement by the toothed ends of clutch members 74 splined on the clutch shafts between the bevel gears. The clutch members are shiftable free of the bevel gears as seen in Figure 1 to break the driving connection and are movable in unison to control the direction of rotation of the feed rollers 67 and 68 by virtue of clutch shifting yokes 75 extending from a clutch shifting rod 76 adjacent to the opposite ends of the latter. This rodvmay have at a point intermediate its ends a shifting vlever 77, and it is thus obvious both feed mechanisms may be reversed whenever necessary 0r desirable in order that the work may be run into either end ot' the. apparatus and then for instance run back and forth until the desired result has been accomplished.

In operation, set as in Figure with the revolving brackets 10 and with the clutches shifted to properly rotate the feed devices in the same direction, the work may be fed into the right hand end of the apparatus as in Figures 1 and 2, it being understood that the feed rollers have first been adjusted to properly engage the work and that the proper work engaging members have been disposed within the several rotating brackets, that is proper as to size of bore and number and size of anti-friction balls depending upon the shape of the work 1n hand.

As the work passes into and through the revolving frame, it is first engaged by the engaging member of bracket E of Figure 10, which is axiall alined with the wo'rk, so that the latter is tlius grasped and held at .this side of the frame before the work passes into the slightly offset bracket Dl. Again the work passes into the axially allned bracket C, and it is thus obvious the bracket D will in its rotation have a tendency to bow the work in order to remove any short klnks, 1n much the same manner as a string held at both ends may be pulled in the center to removekinks. It is true a bow in the Work will be formed, but this bow is gradually removed as the work continues to feed on through the brackets C, B and A` it being noted that bracket B is slightly offset 1n order to overcome the reaction of the work which would otherwise prevent complete straightening and arises from the elasticity or spring in the work.

As the work finally emerges from the left hand side of the revoluble frame it will be straight, although it is quite obvious 1t may in some instances be necessary to run the Work back and forth several times for thls purpose. 0 v

For operation upon work of various shapes and sizes the work encircling members of the brackets are interchangeable as before described, and it is plain that as the brackets may all be adjusted relative to the revoluble frame, that is toward and away from one another as well as with respect tol the axis of the work and the axis of rotation of the frame, all conditions of a special na` ture including the degree and character of -the crookedness may be taken care of.

It is of course to be understood that in operation the feed device at one end pushes the work while that at the opposite end pulls the work so that they thus act in unison irrespective of the particular direction of the work controlled by the clutches, and it is also obvious that the feed of the work may be discontinued at any time by disengaging the clutches while the revoluble frame with its seriesof work engaging members continues to operate.

I claim:

1. A shaft straightening apparatus including a revoluble holder through which the work passes, a series of adjustable work encircling members rotatable, and revoluble with, the said holder, and work feed means at opposite ends of the holder having simultaneously controlled reversing means as described.

V2. A shaft straightening apparatus including a revoluble holder through which the work passes, a series of adjustable work encircling members rotatable, and revoluble with, the said holder, and work feed means including work engaging rollers, rocker arms supporting the rollers and with which said rollers are adjustable toward and away from one another, and connections for rotating the rollers including gears in constant mesh adjacent to the rocker arms permitting adjustment of the latter.

3. A shaft straightening apparatus including a revoluble holder through which the work passes, a series of adjustableV work engaging members rotatable, and revoluble with, the said holder, and work feed means at opposite ends of the holder having simultaneously controlled reversing means, each feed means including work engaging rollers, supports for the rollers with which the latter are adjustable toward and away from one another, and gearing for driving the rollers including gears mounted adjacent to the said supports and in constant mesh irrespective of adjusted position of the supports as described.

4. A shaft straightening apparatus consisting of a revoluble frame, means for feeding work through the frame, a series of brackets revoluble with the frame and adjustable therein toward and away from one another, and work engaging members independently rotatable in the brackets, through which the work is fed, shiftable with said brackets into and out of axial alinement with the work, each of said work encircling members being of tubular form and having internal ball races, and antifriction balls in said races, extending partially into the bore of the tube to engage the work projecting through the tube.

5. A shaft straightening apparatus including a frame having side bars and tubular end shafts, bearings for the said shafts, means for revolving the frame in the said bearings, brackets in the frame having means adjustable with respect thereto for adjustably holding the brackets along the said side bars, bushings rotatable in the brackets, and tubular work encircling members detaehably mounted in said bushings and having rotatable work engaging elements.

6. A shaft straighteningv apparatus including a frame having side bars and tubular end shafts, bearings in which the end shafts are mounted, means for rotating the frame in the saidbearings, a series of brackets adjustable with respect to one another end shafts of the frame, and said work encircling members having internal annular series of work engaging balls. t"

Inftest-imony whereof I have aixed my signature.

HARRISON M. BRIGHTMAN. 

